Dartz

Dartz are a garage rock and punk rock group from Wellington, New Zealand, active since 2019. They are described as a New Zealand garage rock/punk rock act.

Style and background

The band is associated with punk rock, garage rock, indie rock, rock, math rock, folk and punk rock. Their name also appears in connection with an earlier UK math rock group from Middlesbrough, but the Wellington band is the group active from 2019 onwards.

Line-up and activity

The group includes a long-time collaborator, Nico Taylor, who joins the line-up after previously working with the band in a logistics role. The band has played live with a range of other acts and has toured with Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Hot Club de Paris and The Rumble Strips.

Recordings and collaborations

The UK math rock band with the same name released a full-length album, a mini-album, three singles and a split 7-inch through Xtra Mile Recordings, along with an EP on Fakedream Records and a split 10-inch with Stapleton on Gravity DIP. They were signed to Xtra Mile Recordings in the UK and Deep Elm in the US, and recorded with producer Mark Williams at Battery Studios in London. Their live history also includes performances with The Futureheads, Melt Banana, The Young Knives, Make Believe and Foals.

Media and education

That earlier group had three videos featured on MTV2, all directed by Marcus T. Diamond. A fourth video, for “Cold Holidays”, is filmed by Rob Taylor during a tour with I Was a Cub Scout. In 2007 the band pauses touring so members can focus on education, with one studying English Literature at Oxford University and another studying English and Film at Sheffield Hallam.